Joanie Clarkson
Hey Teach,
In this quick video, Polly Bath lays out 3 really great tips for adults to help reduce a child's stress. I've summarized them below the video, but I highly encourage you to watch the video. She packs so much good info into 4 minutes.
1. Validation
It is so important to validate their feelings. Their perception of a situation may be off, or you may think the situation does not warrant the level of emotion the child is feeling, but these are secondary issues. What the child needs most is for you as the adult to validate their feelings. This also helps them be able to identify their own emotions better later in life. Validation is the key that opens the door for real stress management.
2. Listening
Sometimes, kids and adults alike, process their thoughts and feelings through talking. By listening and helping that person feel heard, that this is a safe place to share those thoughts and feelings, you're really allowing them to process. That is such an important part of stress management, not only identifying our emotions but working through them. Listening to them helps them listen to themselves.
3. Building Trust
Some kids have a history of not having adults they can trust. By building that trust through validation and listening, over time, they learn they can not just trust you but other adults too. For some kids, this is a really hard and long journey. Don't give up, you are just one adult in their life, but you can either be an adult that hinders or an adult that helps.
I think we can all benefit from these principles. We can even apply them to ourselves. Acknowledge (or validate inwardly) how we are feeling. Listen to our thoughts and bodies. And build trust in ourselves, that we will take care of ourselves especially when we are stressed. Speaking of taking care of yourself, have you drank water today?
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